Feud in IUML signals decline of UDF: Vijayaraghavan

‘Dispute essentially about sharing spoils of corruption’

Communist Party of India (Marxist) acting State secretary A. Vijayaraghavan has said that the internecine feud in the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) foretold the inevitable decline of the United Democratic Front (UDF).

A similar crisis is in the making in the Congress. The leadership vacuum in the IUML has spawned conflicting centres of power in the party. The situation is no different in the Congress.

Mr. Vijayaraghavan said here on Monday that the dispute in the IUML was essentially about sharing the spoils of corruption. The current spell of infighting was centred on the channelling of illicit money from the substandard construction of the Palarivattom flyover to the IUML’s newspaper, Chandrika.

The IUML, which held PWD portfolio in the Oommen Chandy government, had compromised public safety to make money illegally.

The IUML leadership was facing charges of corruption and money laundering. The party was singularly responsible for its prevailing predicament, he said.

Threat to leadership

Moreover, the IUML was irked that it had found itself out of power for a second term consecutively. IUML national general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty was facing a severe threat to his leadership in the party.

To save face, Mr. Kunhalikutty had raised the bogey of the CPI(M) dabbling in the IUML’s internal affairs. The CPI(M) and the Left Democratic Front government had better things to do. The party and the government were focused on bettering the lot of the people. Both had the support of all sections of society.

The simmering feud in the IUML had burst out into the open in Kozhikode recently. A purported supporter of Mr. Kunhalikutty abused Moeen Ali Thangal, IUML national leader and heir of IUML supremo Panakkad Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal, at the League office and showed him the door.

Subsequently, the IUML leaders huddled in Malappuram to manage the crisis. The Thangal family met separately. Even people not in the leadership was party to the talks. Mr. Vijayaraghavan said more skeletons in the IUML’s cupboard would spill out into the open soon.

LDF Independent legislator K.T. Jaleel had revealed the facts known to him, he said.

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